16 Comments

T
July 18, 2013 at 8:35 am

no crane?!?!?

TakeFive
July 18, 2013 at 11:06 pm

Yep, craneless. It’s like the emperor has no clothes.

eracer
July 18, 2013 at 10:30 am

Not sure how I feel about this project. On the one hand, it fills a gaping hole that has sat empty for so long across from Coors Field, which is obviously great. On the other hand I feel that the street level experience for this building is very much lacking, especially along 22nd. I understand that not every building can support retail, which is fine, but even so this just creates blank walls and uninteresting features at the street level.

Maybe I am just being too picky, but this one just doesn’t do it for me, still nice to see another empty lot disappear.

Alex
July 19, 2013 at 7:40 am

There is an empty corner restaurant spot at the North West corner of 22nd and Blake, just across the street from this new development that’s been there for a couple of years now, so more retail probably isn’t needed just yet.

However, for this project, I love that the ground floor units are going to have outside doors that face the street. I’m a huge Rockies fan, and am drooling at the fantasy of just *walking across the street* from my front door to go catch a game at the ball yard.

Mike
July 18, 2013 at 12:44 pm

more big, plain boring big, square boxes… sad Denver architects lack vision.. although it could be the developers themselves paying for as little as possible..

Larry
July 18, 2013 at 9:33 pm

I can guarantee it’s the developers. They drive the bus, not the architects.

Paul
July 19, 2013 at 8:05 am

A developer figures out what the market demand will support and budgets accordingly. If land acquisition costs are extremely high and the average price per sq/ft that a developer can get is low, than the design will be value-engineered to a greater degree. Now, if a developer can demand and receive exorbitant price per sq/ft you can expect the design to reflect this in order to stand out. Denver is not in the same league as Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Toronto, etc in terms of prices and the design quality reflects this. The market doesn’t demand it and only a fool thinks that they can build it. There’s a reason that the Bell Tower never materialized in Denver; the market isn’t ready.

Larry
July 23, 2013 at 11:46 am

Then there’s “One City Block” in Uptown by RedPeak. I guess some developers just make the math work.

Jeffrey
July 18, 2013 at 7:18 pm

What? No ground-floor retail? I would think restaurants and pubs would work well here. I’m not sure about ground-level apartments. I mean, would people be sitting on your front steps? Looking in your window? This needs to be thought through.

Corey
July 18, 2013 at 7:41 pm

I have been to every major city in the U.S. and Canada and, other than in the most expensive areas of the major cities, the design and construction of the apartment buildings and condos in Denver is as good or better than any where else. I am currently in Calgary and the construction happening in Denver is far superior than what is being built here.

TakeFive
July 19, 2013 at 1:24 pm

Corey… thanks for feedback worth acknowledging.

This has been my sense of what is happening. One benefit not always mentioned is projects are being built with “sustainability” in mind. Denver appears fortunate to have capital flowing in from both coasts and from Chicago to Dallas. These developers have the funding and intent to build “investment” quality projects.

Richard
July 19, 2013 at 11:57 am

Will the enclosed area at the corner be a leasing office/lobby? I don’t think retail is necessary along Blake here, but I would hope whatever ends up getting built on the lot closer to 20th includes some. Another brewpub directly across from the ballpark would be cool, especially if it somehow incorporates the empty brick building at 21st & Market.

Jeff
July 23, 2013 at 8:50 am

With vacancy rates where they are, and no shortage of bars in that area, it seems a better choice to not have commercial at street level. The apartments will rent right away; they could be sitting on commercial spaces for a long time.

Dan
September 9, 2013 at 6:56 am

Does anybody know what is going on with this project? There has been no progress since July (when the last picture of Denverinfill was taken). Not only is the only building under construction without a crane, but it seems something is going on where no progress has been made since July.

Dori Littell
September 11, 2013 at 3:23 pm

Dan,

The workers say that they are having very serious concrete issues. They maintain a construction office on Market and if you notice, they are advertising for help.

Several projects have had to punt on their plans using stick-built construction vs. post-tension buildings. I do not know if this is the case, but it wouldn’t be shocking to learn that changes had to be made in their plan if they were going to finish in this decade.

Dori Littell
September 11, 2013 at 3:18 pm

I live across the street from this project. Most residents have been waiting ages to see the ugly parking disappear and we truly welcome the construction. However…..

Many of us are terribly disappointed that this project is just another residential building when this neighborhood would greatly benefit by having a nice five or six story office building with workers coming into our neighborhood during the day…not leaving it. For those of us who have lived here for a while, we often say that living here is like living at the beach: busy and fun during the summer but downright depressing during the winter when the season is over.

Existing restaurants really struggle here 6 months of the year and the prospect of attracting more is slim. Cabs disappear and smaller businesses like Subway and Dominoes don’t seem to be interested in locating to our community since successful lunch hours are key to the smaller venues and we’re a ghost town everyday at noon. Bad planning! Haste also makes lousy neighborhoods!

This project will be just another rental project that in a few years will be hosting rent wars to keep residents interested in living here during the off-season. Wish it wasn’t so but it is.